Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

JCRobinson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:12:13 GMT

I'll be seeing the race when I get my weekly podcast from ITunes. My computer is old and my ISP is terrible, and I live in an apartment where sat. dishes aren't allowed (if I can only get the telemarketers to believe that....) My big beef is that ESPN couldn't even be bothered to post the results! I was at a baseball game with family and at 6:30 grabbed the hubby's Blackberry- he has the ESPN link set right up. At 8:00 PM EST, there was still nothing there, so I went to the CNN link (and from there to SI.com) and FINALLY got the results. Horse racing a niche sport? Yes, but so is Premier League soccer on this side of the pond, and ESPN seems to have found room for that. And really, does bowling in whatever form outperform horse racing in the ratings? NBC is supposed to be doing something next year for the WEG in Lexington- maybe that can be piggybacked into more horse racing coverage back onto NBC?

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

amo5609 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:24:29 GMT

I was in East Lansing MI at the Michigan State game on Saturday. After the game, I went to a national chain sports bar and asked them to find the Woodward for me. First, I was told that they could not do that because they have customers that come in and ask to sit in specific sections so they could watch a specific game. When I pointed out that they had the Georgia v. Illinois game on at least 4 seperate TVs, they agreed to look for me. Then, when I told them it would be on TVG or HRTV, and they looked at me like I was crazy. The manager said "I'll see what I can do". He came back and told me that he had received an email from coroprate HQ of "all the sporting events" that were being held around the country and that "there's even some car racing, but no horse racing". He then told me that he could not pull up the satellite guide station and look. It's a sad state of affairs when what was probably the biggest race of the year can't even make the email list of events at an establishment like that. Thankfully, I had my DVR set at home so I was albe to watch it. I agree with the previous posts that Rachel is THE horse to bring the sport to recognition with the general public. If the industry can't make the most of a golden opportunity like this, then we're in trouble, folks.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Jen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:27:24 GMT

No HRTV and TVG available in my area. So, I had to watch the race in replay on YouTube.

Funny, I know plenty of people who don't watch races and don't go to the track who do bet on them... the way they bet on everything else.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Jumpguy — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:16:20 GMT

I guess I should check my Dish invoice. Something I have not done in years. But when I dropped Direct TV for dish due to the fact that they carried TVG it was part of the basic package. I hardly ever watch HRTV. Very poor production, and uninteresting on air personalities for the most part. I don't see the need for 2 horse racing channels anyway. The industry should have bought TVG when it was on the market.

NPR,(National Public Radio) not exactly known for it's horse racing coverage just did a short spot on RA's wins!

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

KC — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:53:24 GMT

No TVG OR HRTV or online betting or a racetrack close to bet here in good ol' Kansas City. A lot of race fans but we only get to watch pretaped after the fact races. I still love horse racing but it is as if I live in the North Pole

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

MRO — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:53:49 GMT

There has to be something we can do to get races like this shown on the major cable networks. I think I missed the race of a lifetime.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

AnneM — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:21:28 GMT

I have Direct TV and get only TVG not HRTV. However I have to pay $20 over the basic rate for the package that includes TVG. I pay it but am not happy about it.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Soldier Course — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:38:54 GMT

Lance S:

I have you to thank for being able to see Rachel Alexandra win the Woodward Stakes in real time today. You mentioned Sports South here on this blog, I tuned in about 5:20, and there it was. If I had not read your comment I would not have known that TVG's programming of the race was being shown on Sports South.

I hope others who otherwise would not have been able to see this race found your comment and their regional Fox Sports channel.

Thank you.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Rowner — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:16:15 GMT

I agree with Soldier Course about being talked down to. Why would I want to spend $85.00 of my hard earned dollars for two channels because thats what it would cost me if I went with Dish Network in my area to get these channels and 100 more I don't need. I racing wants to get back what it once was it needs to be more accessible to the public and not just geared to the hard core gambler / handicapper.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

rowner — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:02:39 GMT

Its all fine for those of you that can afford the Sat. Networks and get TVG and HRTV or even fox sports south or whatever. In my neck of the woods the midwest all those channels are not offered on any cable company. TVG was taken off Direct TV's list of channels so I canceled my service. Dish Network does have this programing but only on its most expensive packages. I used to go to my local OTB but alas the state I live in made sure it was closed.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Soldier Course — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:11:09 GMT

Mr. Hammonds:

I appreciate the tone of your article about the television situation. At least it is sympathetic to those fans, myself included, who will not be seeing the Woodward and Pacific Classic this weekend because we don't have TVG or HRTV.

There is another B-H blog that's covering the same subject. In contrast, fans concerned about the television issue on that blog are apparently considered naive and are being talked down to.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Soldier Course — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:31:21 GMT

Lance S:

Would you be so kind as to tell me at what time the Sports South channel will show the Woodward? Here in South Carolina I get Sports South and Fox Sports through ComCast, but the newspaper TV guide came today and there's no mention of the race on the schedule. Also, what about the Pacific Classic? Many thanks in advance for your help.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Jordan S — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:17:19 GMT

Why do people think Rachel can't run past 1 1/8 miles? First off, most female horses do not go past that distance. Second, all of the prestigious races she has been running in are at that distance. Third, when she went past it in the Preakness, she WON the race against the best 3 year old colts in the country. You can say she was tiring, but the fact is the fractions were fast, and she was pressured the whole time, not to mention she ran 2 weeks ago and won by 20 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks. Of course she was supposed to bounce, and she did, but she still held off the rush by Mine That Bird. And if you know anything about her sire, you would know that he ran at the classic distance, and also in the Belmont Stakes. Rachel can run past 1 1/8 miles, but they are choosing to keep her at that distance because the prestigious races they are targeting happen to be at that distance. Get over it with her lack of stamina nonsense. Enjoy this once in a lifetime horse, and I can guarantee you she will run at some point in the 1 1/4 mile races. And when you get a horse as special as she is, it is much more enjoyable to watch her run and be glad that she isn't being whisked away to the breeding shed.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

R. Harden — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:21:46 GMT

Anyone who believes Santa Anita was named BC host for 2 consecutive years for marketing purposes has been drinking the Cup's Kool-Aid. The BC was too impatient to wait for NYRA's situation to be resolved and wanted to flex its muscle to Churchill Downs at the time. The decision has backfired beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Kiyoko — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:54:46 GMT

I won't be able to watch it at all until it's posted on Bloodhorse.com. =/

I have no racetrack or OTB anywhere within 2 hours of me, and no cable company in my area carries either TVG or HRTV.

It makes me wish that some companies step up to the bat with technology and start offering live video streams of big races online.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

okcarby — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:29:51 GMT

My question is why TVG and HRTV can't be shown on the regular cable companies such as Time Warner, Comcast, etc. These two channels do a decent job of showing the races. I'm sure there must be some financial hang-up for why this is not done. However, it would broaden the exposure to racing on a day to day basis and perhaps grow the fan base. In my opinion, showing just one race and concentrating on just one horse is not enough to breathe some life into this sport. With that said, I am totally rooting for Rachel and I hope she keeps running like a girl!!

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

LanceS — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:03 GMT

It should be noted that the Woodward IS going to be shown on channels other than TVG and HRTV. The TVG telecast will be offered on many Fox Regional sports channels around the country. It will be carried on the Sports South channel here in North Carolina and throughout much of the southeast. This same procedure was followed for the Haskell.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Michael — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:06:25 GMT

No Woodward on network tv, or ESPN?!? That just plain sucks!

I have been an avid fan since I watched Secretariat destroy his Belmont feild. I was nine years old and couldn't talk for a week after screaming him home! It is sad how much appeal racing has lost since then! Too bad Jess Jackson could'nt have spent 250,000. to get Rachel on tv! I will have to run down to my local off-track bar too see her. I long for the days off iron horses who ran once a week or so, and boxcar tours of our eqine stars and the era when entire families were glued to their radios listening to race calls!

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Soldier Course — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:52:59 GMT

Dennis:

Thank you. All summer since the Preakness, I have been keeping my knitting group informed about Rachel Alexandra. After the Haskell everyone had gotten excited about seeing her next big race. Now this. I can't even see the Woodward because I have regular cable with ESPN, etc. How did this happen?

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Martin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:39:56 GMT

The problem is years ago the racing industry marketed themselves and the Triple Crown as the end-all and be-all, and to a lesser extent, the Breeders Cup. The networks are also at fault because, as the story pointed out, they like to have their commitments set up at least six months in advance. Wtih that, there is no chance to schedule something on the fly. So the general public that may have a passing interest and would tune in has no concept or understanding of how a horse gets to the spring classics or what they do after that. As a result, great races like Saturday's Woodward get lost in the shuffle. If I called the shots at the NTRA, spend a little less money and effort marketing the Triple Crown--everyone knows it and will look for it in the spring--and do more with races from Saratoga and the fall meets at Belmont, Keeneland and Santa Anita.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

arliss — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:17:57 GMT

Before RA is annointed as the next great horse, let's see her beat legitimate competition at the classic distances. There's no way she wins the Woodward if it is a mile and a quarter.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Brian in Portland — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:06:00 GMT

Probably sounds crazy, but would a special feature on Animal Planet ever be possible? The channel would probably reap the rewards of having a racing card featuring Rachel, and with most racing fans already familiar with the station thanks to 'Jockeys', it could end up being a real success for the network.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

bensalem man — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:08:14 GMT

when cool coal man pulls an upset thats all every one will be talking about on espn it will be breaking news that will get horse racing some attention just like mtbs upset in the derby

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

Whatever — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:24:38 GMT

How will Rachel stack up against her elders, lol! Do they mean the pathetic group of allowance/claiming types she'll be running against this weekend at her USUAL distance of 1 1/8 miles, god knows she has distance limitations, although she did win that marathon race they hold in Maryland each year, the Preakness, that's a real test of champions, don't ya'll think.? Lets see, Red Bullet went on to do What.? and Bernardini couldn't repeat his Preakness performance against a horse as good as himself, which is usually the case whan a race horse has been coddled and babied. So everyone will be waiting to see the second coming of Ruffian run another mile and an eighth against a bunch of bums. Send her over to Europe where they breed REAL race horses and lets see how she does.

re: Labor Day Pains - By Evan Hammonds

MRO — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:01:14 GMT

I have cable for one reason - horse racing....and nowadays that isn't even good enough.